Sliema ASC and Barcelona's BIWPA Launch Joint Youth Academy

Sliema Aquatic Sports Club (Sliema ASC) has confirmed a lasting collaboration with the Barcelona-based Barcelona International Water Polo Academy (BIWPA), with the two organisations jointly establishing a new youth entity under the name Sliema ASC x BIWPA Academy. The Maltese Herald published the announcement on 15 June 2026. Sliema ASC describes itself as an established presence in Maltese water polo, having produced players who have gone on to represent Sliema competitively and to earn national team selection.

That description is drawn from the club's own partnership announcement and is not corroborated by an independent source. The new academy is designed to give young players and coaching staff access to elite training methodologies and structured player development pathways, while embedding internationally recognised best practices into the club's operations. These are stated intentions; the announcement does not include programme launch dates, training schedules, or player intake criteria.

BIWPA is described as Barcelona-based. The announcement does not provide a founding date, institutional history, named officials, or third-party endorsement. The partnership is described as long-term, but the announcement does not specify a contract duration.

No financial terms, membership fees, or funding arrangements are set out. No named official, coach, or executive from either organisation is quoted or identified. The formal launch of the jointly branded academy is the clearest concrete step the announcement confirms.

Water polo has long been part of Sliema's sporting culture. The academy's stated aims centre on expanding development pathways for young players from the area; how those aims will be implemented has not been set out.